Jan 18, 2017, 9:12 pm
Last edit by: IADCAflyer
What is Basic Economy?
Basic Economy is (generally) the lowest, "no-frills" Main Cabin (Economy) fare on American Airlines and their Atlantic Joint Business partners (British Airways, Iberia, and Finnair). Basic Economy fares on American Airlines book into the As the lowest fare, it has some special restrictions that other Main Cabin fares do not.
What are the Restrictions?
You can read American Airlines' web page summarizing Basic Economy for the exact details, but there are a few points that likely matter most to FlyerTalkers:
* exceptions apply for American Airlines elite-level frequent flyers as noted below.
Despite these restrictions, Basic Economy can be a good value in certain circumstances.
Are the seats or service any different?
Once you are on the airplane, the experience (seats / drinks / snacks) will be identical to regular Main Cabin.
How can I tell if I have a Basic Economy fare?
Your reservation on aa.com may say it. Basic Economy fares on American Airlines flights book into the B booking class, though Basic Economy fares on BA/IB/AY and their AA* codeshares can book into almost any revenue booking class.
I have an AA credit card, what does that get me?
Yes, if you have an American Airlines credit card that comes with preferred boarding or a free checked bag on domestic itineraries, you will receive those benefits. Additionally, if you have a Citi Executive card, you may use the Admirals Club as normal.
I have AA elite status, what does that get me?
You WILL get the following elite benefits when you buy a Basic Economy fare (note this is not an exhaustive list, basically everything not expressly forbidden is allowed):
Families with children over 13 will have to pay for seat assignments to be seated with their children.
I am flying on a British Airways, Iberia, or Finnair airplane, is anything different?
If you do not have AA or oneworld elite status, the restrictions are quite similar and you should expect to pay for everything: paid checked bags, paid seat selection, and no changes / cancellations. Depending on available fare classes, you may have an opportunity to earn additional redeemable miles or elite qualifying dollars by booking a BA / IB / AY flight number instead of an AA flight number; check your options and the partner earning charts on AA for each respective airline (British Airways, Iberia, Finnair).
If you have status, buckle up, because it gets technical, though there are some opportunities to cherry pick benefits and save money. This has been already summarized in the counterpart to this thread on the British Airways forum., so we will not reproduce it here. Note the following correspondences between status levels:
Basic Economy is (generally) the lowest, "no-frills" Main Cabin (Economy) fare on American Airlines and their Atlantic Joint Business partners (British Airways, Iberia, and Finnair). Basic Economy fares on American Airlines book into the As the lowest fare, it has some special restrictions that other Main Cabin fares do not.
What are the Restrictions?
You can read American Airlines' web page summarizing Basic Economy for the exact details, but there are a few points that likely matter most to FlyerTalkers:
- Your first checked bag will cost money on a Basic Economy fare*.
- Your seat will be automatically assigned when you check in and unchangeable, unless you pay to change your seat. You may pay to reserve a seat any time after booking*.
- No elite upgrades to first class, or complimentary access to preferred seats (green on the seat map) or Main Cabin Extra (orange on the seat map)*.
- You will board last, in Group 9 for domestic flights or Group 8 for international flights*. On a full flight, this likely means you will have to gate check your carry-on bag (which is free)*.
- You will earn 50% EQMs per mile flown and 0.5 EQS per segment. You will earn full RDMs (based on fare flown) and EQDs.
- Changes are not permitted (worldwide from 01APR21).
- In IRROPS, Basic Economy customers will not be re-accommodated on other airlines, and will have to wait for the next American Airlines flight (or BA/IB/AY for INTL).
* exceptions apply for American Airlines elite-level frequent flyers as noted below.
Despite these restrictions, Basic Economy can be a good value in certain circumstances.
Are the seats or service any different?
Once you are on the airplane, the experience (seats / drinks / snacks) will be identical to regular Main Cabin.
How can I tell if I have a Basic Economy fare?
Your reservation on aa.com may say it. Basic Economy fares on American Airlines flights book into the B booking class, though Basic Economy fares on BA/IB/AY and their AA* codeshares can book into almost any revenue booking class.
I have an AA credit card, what does that get me?
Yes, if you have an American Airlines credit card that comes with preferred boarding or a free checked bag on domestic itineraries, you will receive those benefits. Additionally, if you have a Citi Executive card, you may use the Admirals Club as normal.
I have AA elite status, what does that get me?
You WILL get the following elite benefits when you buy a Basic Economy fare (note this is not an exhaustive list, basically everything not expressly forbidden is allowed):
- 1/2/3 checked bag fees waives, depending on status.
- Priority check-in / security / boarding.
- Lounge access, if applicable.
- No same-day standby or same-day confirmed flight changes, paid or otherwise.
As it does today, American’s reservations system will check for families traveling with children 13 and under a few days before the flight, and attempt to seat each child with an adult. This is the same process we follow for Main Cabin customers.
I am flying on a British Airways, Iberia, or Finnair airplane, is anything different?
If you do not have AA or oneworld elite status, the restrictions are quite similar and you should expect to pay for everything: paid checked bags, paid seat selection, and no changes / cancellations. Depending on available fare classes, you may have an opportunity to earn additional redeemable miles or elite qualifying dollars by booking a BA / IB / AY flight number instead of an AA flight number; check your options and the partner earning charts on AA for each respective airline (British Airways, Iberia, Finnair).
If you have status, buckle up, because it gets technical, though there are some opportunities to cherry pick benefits and save money. This has been already summarized in the counterpart to this thread on the British Airways forum., so we will not reproduce it here. Note the following correspondences between status levels:
- AA Gold - BA Bronze - oneworld Ruby
- AA Platinum or Platinum Pro - BA Silver - oneworld Sapphire
- AA Executive Platinum or Concierge Key - BA Gold - oneworld Emerald
- If you are a Platinum, Platinum Pro, or Executive Platinum elite, you can generally book Iberia or Finnair-operated Basic Economy flights and not notice any baggage or seating restrictions, as long as they were not marketed by BA.
- If you do not care about your seat assignment, you can book AA-operated flights with an IB or AY flight number and still receive a checked bag if you are Platinum or higher. You may earn more or fewer RDMs, EQMs, and EQDs.
- If you do not need to check a bag, you can book BA-operated flights with any flight number, and can choose your seat (7 days in advance for Gold, at booking for Platinum and higher, Exit Rows for EXP).
Basic Economy Fare as of 2017 (also AY, BA, IB), incl. elite benefits (Master thread)
Dec 29, 2017, 4:00 pm
#676
Join Date: May 2012
Location: HNL
Programs: AA PP 1.8MM, PC Spire, Hertz 5*, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,030
I think AA understands very well. People ..... and moan about AA (and everyone) and threaten to fly a different airline, but then come back and book the cheapest fare.
Just look at Spirit - 1 star rating, tens of thousands of complaints saying WILL NEVER FLY SPIRIT AGAIN.. and yet they still crank out nice profits and growth. For better or worse, money talks. Similarly on the flip side, the fact that AA keeps a boatload of seats for elites and allows me to select MCE for free is why I continue to patronize them and am willing to pay MORE to fly AA and get the perks.
Just look at Spirit - 1 star rating, tens of thousands of complaints saying WILL NEVER FLY SPIRIT AGAIN.. and yet they still crank out nice profits and growth. For better or worse, money talks. Similarly on the flip side, the fact that AA keeps a boatload of seats for elites and allows me to select MCE for free is why I continue to patronize them and am willing to pay MORE to fly AA and get the perks.
Dec 29, 2017, 4:16 pm
#677
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
You are completely wrong. AA punishes anyone not buying preferred seats, even if they are flying on a flexible economy fare. I NEVER book the cheapest economy fares, and I laugh when AA marks half the aircraft with "preferred" seating. United and Delta don't even go to that extreme.
Dec 29, 2017, 4:32 pm
#679
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,315
Think of it as you’re paying for a bad seats. A group sitting together will be occupying some good seats (aisle) and some bad seats (middle).
If you’re only paying the bad seat price you will only get bad seats which means no aisles. I’m guessing that on ten across triple seven they be willing to give you two middle seats together. On a single aisle plane, there are no bad seats together, the bad seats are next to good seats.
If you’re only paying the bad seat price you will only get bad seats which means no aisles. I’m guessing that on ten across triple seven they be willing to give you two middle seats together. On a single aisle plane, there are no bad seats together, the bad seats are next to good seats.
Dec 29, 2017, 6:00 pm
#680
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: San Jose, California, USA
Programs: AS 100K, UA MM, AA MM, IC Plat Amb, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 3,146
Indeed, I wonder how much AA wanted to charge the OP for seats together? I suspect that I might personally feel that there are way better things to do with that money than give it to AA.
Dec 29, 2017, 6:28 pm
#681
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,265
I agree that money talks and I find that AA BE is not as cheap as Spirit and other low cost airlines. Whereas some people might have been ok with that because they thought they could get something better with AA and now realize they won't get anything better will instead go all in on Spirit or some other low cost airline.
But try to find a non-legacy service for something like a PNS-GJT round trip, and it's not gonna happen.
Dec 29, 2017, 7:10 pm
#682
Join Date: May 2012
Location: HNL
Programs: AA PP 1.8MM, PC Spire, Hertz 5*, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,030
The advantage legacy carrier BE fares have compared to LCCs is their route map once you get into the realm of secondary and tertiary airports. Spirit and Frontier don't come anywhere near where I live; Allegiant has a somewhat substantial summer schedule out of VPS but their destinations meeting our travel needs are kind of a hit or miss sort of thing. (Though I'd love to see AA's BE summer pricing for VPS-PIT match Allegiant's because I trust AA's mechanics far more, and it would be nice to do a quick family visit up there for cheap)
But try to find a non-legacy service for something like a PNS-GJT round trip, and it's not gonna happen.
But try to find a non-legacy service for something like a PNS-GJT round trip, and it's not gonna happen.
Dec 30, 2017, 8:11 am
#684
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: AA PLT PRO, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plt. Premier
Posts: 587
24 hours before the flight is the first time you can check in without paying for seats. As I responded to AA's email about check in time almost immediately, I was one of the first to check in without paying for seats.
The entire point of this thread is that by checking in online, you are *guaranteed* to not sit together if you have a cheap ticket. This business of buying more expensive fare... hey lots of people who do not fly very often tend to buy cheapest air tickets. Some of them (most of them?) would never, ever.... ever, pay for First Class. The distinction between paying for first class or paying for *anything* extra, can be non-existent to people who think like that.
To them I say, do not check in ONLINE. You are guaranteed to sit apart. You may or may not sit apart if you check in at the airport.
Paying for seats is the only way to sit together if you buy cheap fare. Clearly.
Would the tickets cost more or less, would we be paying for seats, would we get a break if major airlines were broken up? Collusion and mergers is why airlines make money on secondary charges, not tickets. I think they said on 60 Minutes there was a word for profits made from charges which are not ticket charges. I think they said they are now in the billions.
This will only end when there's more competition or when big airlines are broken up. Till then pay up or sit apart.
The entire point of this thread is that by checking in online, you are *guaranteed* to not sit together if you have a cheap ticket. This business of buying more expensive fare... hey lots of people who do not fly very often tend to buy cheapest air tickets. Some of them (most of them?) would never, ever.... ever, pay for First Class. The distinction between paying for first class or paying for *anything* extra, can be non-existent to people who think like that.
To them I say, do not check in ONLINE. You are guaranteed to sit apart. You may or may not sit apart if you check in at the airport.
Paying for seats is the only way to sit together if you buy cheap fare. Clearly.
Would the tickets cost more or less, would we be paying for seats, would we get a break if major airlines were broken up? Collusion and mergers is why airlines make money on secondary charges, not tickets. I think they said on 60 Minutes there was a word for profits made from charges which are not ticket charges. I think they said they are now in the billions.
This will only end when there's more competition or when big airlines are broken up. Till then pay up or sit apart.
Dec 30, 2017, 8:31 am
#685
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
Someone at AA did their homework, put responsibility on gate agents. BE is boarding group 9, overhead space typically disappears during groups 7 or 8 on full flights. From a practical perspective, situation takes care of itself, BE customer may luck out on a half-empty flight every now and then, at the risk of a punitive gate checked bag fee.
FAs have no involvement; unlike UA, where FAs are required to police Y+ on domestic flights, charge fees to those attempting to access inflight.
FAs have no involvement; unlike UA, where FAs are required to police Y+ on domestic flights, charge fees to those attempting to access inflight.
Dec 30, 2017, 9:43 am
#686
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Someone at AA did their homework, put responsibility on gate agents. BE is boarding group 9, overhead space typically disappears during groups 7 or 8 on full flights. From a practical perspective, situation takes care of itself, BE customer may luck out on a half-empty flight every now and then, at the risk of a punitive gate checked bag fee.
FAs have no involvement; unlike UA, where FAs are required to police Y+ on domestic flights, charge fees to those attempting to access inflight.
FAs have no involvement; unlike UA, where FAs are required to police Y+ on domestic flights, charge fees to those attempting to access inflight.
MCE is a bit different as it is part of the Y cabin. Y+ is considered separate
Dec 30, 2017, 12:41 pm
#687
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,247
Premium Economy is a totally different cabin and self upgraders will unceremoniously get the boot.
Dec 30, 2017, 5:03 pm
#688
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
I wonder where the idea comes from, that people "need" to "sit together" on an airplane?
Right now (unless you're on a flight), where are your family members? Whether you're at home, at a shopping mall, at a beach, at Disneyland, etc, the chances are high that you are usually further away from your loved ones, on the ground, than the entire length of an airplane. So, if you're seated anywhere on the same plane, then you're in closer proximity to your family than you normally are, while on the ground.
So please get over the idea that you must be right in someone's armpit in order to be "near" that person.
Right now (unless you're on a flight), where are your family members? Whether you're at home, at a shopping mall, at a beach, at Disneyland, etc, the chances are high that you are usually further away from your loved ones, on the ground, than the entire length of an airplane. So, if you're seated anywhere on the same plane, then you're in closer proximity to your family than you normally are, while on the ground.
So please get over the idea that you must be right in someone's armpit in order to be "near" that person.
Dec 30, 2017, 8:00 pm
#689
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Its sounds like you are realizing the downfall of going with the least expensive option as you've done. You aren't being penalized for anything. Its made clear that seats are automatically assigned at time of check in on Basic Economy fares and that you have the option to pick your own seats within 48 hours of departure for a fee. If you didn't like those terms of the fare, why would you book a basic economy fare?
It does come across as being penalized though, when AA doesn't say "These people are on the same PNR, so how about 13B, 14B, 15B" but instead seemingly go out of their way to put tons of space between seats. I sat next to a woman on Christmas in 17E, and her family was up in 12B, her in 17E, and back past row 20 (didn't see where).